Stamp-mill



R. RAYCRAFT.

STAMP MILL.

APPLlCATlON FILED Jun/29. 1915.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

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RICHARD RAYCRAFT, 0F GENOA, NEVADA.

STAMP-MILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Application filed July 29, 1915. Serial No. 42,607. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD RAYGRAFT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Genoa, in the county of Douglas and State of Nevada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Mills; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in'stamp mills, of the character which not only convey to the stamp members a reciprocating motion, but rotates them during their operation.

The object of .the invention is to provide improved means whereby the worms which rotate the stamps of the mill may be made to shift theshaft on which they are mounted out of gear.

With this object in view, my invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my improved stamp mill partly in section; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4: is an end elevation of the spring locking means.

In describing my invention, I shall refer to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which the numeral 1 designates a substantially rec-' tangular frame which is provided for the mill, and which has an arch-shapedtop 2 to allow the upper ends of the stamps to project upwardly therefromduring the operation of this mill. This mill is provided with a plurality of stamps 3 which are placed in a vertical position in the rectangular frame, and. are supported therein by a horizontally disposed support 4, and by means of the top of the said frame through which they project. The lower ends of the stamps 3 are provided with heads 5 which may be of the usual type of head used in this character of stamp mill. These heads are adapted to drop upon raised portions of the bottom of the frame as shown at 6, and will crush materlal contained in the chamber in the bottom of said frame in the manner characteristic of devices of this character.

Extending across the frame 1 and projectmg therefrom at either end, is a horizontally disposed main drive shaft 7, on which is positioned at spaced intervals a series of tappets 8, one for each of the stamps. This drive shaft 7 is rotatablymounted in the frame so that when said shaft isrevolved, the tappets 8 will be turned, and owing to the fact that they are so arranged, they will l ft'the stamps a certain distance, in rotation. These tappets 8 engage collars 9 which are positioned on the stamp stems a short distance above the drive shaft 7 One of the projecting ends of the main drive shaft 7 has secured firmly thereto a large gear 10, and the outer extremity of the said shaft has fastened therein some power receiving means, for instance as shown in the drawing, a handle 11. It will be obvious that upon the rotation of the shaft by the handle 11, the tappets 8 will in rotation engage the collars 9 on the stems of the stamps 3 and lift the said stamps a certain distance, until the tappet has passed from out of engagement with the collar, whereupon the stamp will be dropped to crush the material held in the receptacle in the bottom of the frame.

Extending horizontally across the frame 1 and spaced a predetermined distance below the main drive shaft 7, is a supplemental shaft 12 which is also rotatably mounted in said frame, and has its opposite ends projecting therethrough. This shaft 12 is so mounted in the said frame that it will be longitudinally slidable therein a predetermined distance for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described.

One of the projecting ends of the supplemental shaft 12 has secured thereto a small gear 13, which is adapted to slidably engage the large gear 10 to rotate the shaft 12. At the opposite projecting end of the supplerows of teeth, which are positioned on the.

stems of the stamps 3. When the worms 14 are brought into engagement with the elongated vertical gears on the stems of the stamps 3, it will be obvious that upon rotation of the supplemental shaft 12, a rotary movement will be imparted to the said stamps, and the said gears 15 on the stamps, owing to their length, will not become disengaged from the worms 1 1 when the stamps 3 are reciprocated during the operation of the mill.

The side of the frame 1 opposite the side on which are positioned the intermeshing gears 10 and 13, has pivotally mounted thereon, at a point adjacent the bottom of the same, a flat substantially upright spring 16, which has itsnpper end notched in one edge at 17 for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described.

A projecting rib 18 extends vertically from the side of the frame a short distance above the pivoted end of the spring 16,-and has one end thereof which is designated by the numeral 19 extending outwardly to form a stop to hold the lever in a certain position. On the projecting end of the supplemental shaft 12 is firmly secured a collar 20 which is spacedfrom the side of the frame. When i it is desired to hold the supplemental lever 12 in the position at which the worms 14: and gears15 engage, the spring 16 is swung upwardly, and thefree end 17 of the same is positioned behind the collar 20 on the end of said shaft, whereby, owing to the fact that said spring will be forced outward intermediately of its ends by the projecting rib 18, it will be held in a vertical position by the stop 19 on the said rib, andconstant outward pressure will be exerted on the end of said shaft and the same will be moved in the direction of said pressure, as far as it can move. When in this position which is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the opposite end 7 of the said shaft on which is positioned the small gear 13, will bring the said gear into mesh with the large gear 10 on the main drive shaft 7, so that upon rotation of the handle 11, the stamp members 3 of this device will not only be forced to reciprocate by the tappets on the said drive shaft, but will also be rotated, owing to the fact that the rotary motion which is imparted to the supplemental shaft 12 through the gears 12 and 13, will be imparted to the stems of the stamps by the coaction of the worms l4 and the gears 15 on the stems of said stamps.

When it is desired to throw the worms 14 out of mesh with the vertical gears 15, it is only necessary to move the spring operating lever 16 from out of engagement with the collar 20 on the end of the shaft, whereby the shaft will be automatically moved longitudinally by the worms 14 until the small gear 13 is out of mesh with the large gear 10, as shown in dotted lines positioned in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This automatic longitudinal shifting of the shaft 13 is caused by the fact that the Worms H continually exert an endwise thrust on said shaft while the machine is in operation, this thrust being normally overcome by the spring 16 or an equivalent device. However, when said spring is released, the worms will travel endwise on their respective gears 15 and will thus so shift the shaft 12 as to disengage its gear 13 from the drive gear 10. The stamps will now reciprocate freely without being 35 rotated under power, but obviously when it is desired to rotate said stamps, the shaft 12 may be shifted to its normal position to again engage the gear 13 with the drive gear 10, after'which the spring 16 is again applied to hold said shaft against further longitudinal movement.

To operate the spring, it is necessary to mill are in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings to impart to the vertical stamp members 3 the reciprocating and rotary movement. This rotary or whirling motion that is imparted to the stamps 3 and their heads 5, obviates a large proportion of the wear on the surface of the same, and this wear will be even until the entire head is worn away. 7 i

From the foregoing description of the construction ofmy improved device, the manner of applying thesame to use, and the operation thereof, will be readily understood, and it will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive, and efficient means for carrying out the object of this invention.

claim as'my invention:

I11 a stamp mill, the combination of a frame, astamp having a stem movable in said frame, means for raising said stem, means for rotating said stem, operating means connecting said raising means with said rotating means, and locking means In testimony whereof I have hereunto set for retaining the rotating means in operamy hand in presence of two subscribing wittive relation with the stem; said rotating nesses.

means including means for disconnecting RICHARD RAYCRAFT. said stem and said rotating means by the Witnesses:

movement of said operating means, When CHAS. A. ALB,

aid locking means is released. G. E. RAYGRAFT.

Copies oi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. G." 

